This chapter includes a song, so you may want to look it up. I included the lyrics in the story, but you might want to listen to it beforehand. It's simply beautiful. [2]

[1] Standing Saikerei and Seated Saikerei / Japanese Bowinging posture /

[2] Song featured: "Moon on the Water - Beat Crusaders / Beck" All copyright material belongs to Beat Crusaders / Beck.

Also shout out to Wikihow for showing me the rules to Uno and HXH Wiki for the list of prince's names and Testing Gate info.

Chapter 32 Part 1

Draw 25

"Okay, Alluka, you have to draw twenty-five cards now."

Connie professed as she tapped the green "Draw 25" Uno card lying face up next to the large card pile, which clearly had a drawn "5" next to it. The kimono clad girl looked absolutely distraught as she already had trouble containing her deck of twenty something cards.

"Uhh, I think I'd rather tell you who my best friend is rather than do that..." Alluka explained.

"You don't have to do that, Alluka." Tadaki confessed as he began taking multiple cards out of the deck for himself. "I'll take care of them for you."

Connie glared at Tadaki in a way that could cut steel, yet Alluka was flattered.

"Oh Tadaki, thanks so much! You're so kind!" She flustered under a light shade of pink and wafting kimono sleeves. Meanwhile, Pepe squawked in what seemed like agreement.

"It's nothing; anything for you Alluka." The boy smiled as she melted into her seat.
However, Connie was a little more than agitated as her cards crinkled beneath her fingers.

"So, Tadaki… I see you've brought Pepe tonight. Just make sure he doesn't poop on our carpet." The girl wearing the emerald green sari bit out as her nose chain rustled with the force of her words.

The three friends were all packed into Connie and Esmerelda's train car as they huddled around for a game of Uno, with some slight changes to the rules...

The evening sky was a light shade of grey outside and contrasted the bright, colorful cloth that hung around the room's walls and flooring. Alluka dug her toes into the fluffy mink carpet and relaxed under the smell of lavender. Esmerelda wasn't anywhere to be found, most likely somewhere around with the thunder prince, but she could tell they were all her own personal touches.

"Don't worry, Pepe is well trained. Besides, I didn't invite him, he just seems to follow me nowadays." Tadaki responded as he smiled at the bird and he chirped in return.

Connie rolled her eyes, as she began to pick another card. Alluka was no stranger to the tense feeling between her two friends as she bit her lip nervously. They had stayed in Okonami for an entire month now, and though at times their relationship seemed steady, she could tell Connie's irritable nature was beginning to become unglued. And she knew the reason why.

Suddenly, they heard a knock at the door, and after seeing a mess of white hair on the other side of the car's window, Tadaki rose.

"I'll see what Shockhead wants..." He mumbled as he exited the room and Connie and Alluka were finally alone.

"So…" Alluka began as she pursed her lips nervously. "You wanna tell me why you're so cranky lately? I mean, more so than usual?" Alluka corrected herself under her friend's glare.

"Well, I'll tell ya, but I don't think you'll like it…"

Alluka suddenly stood and made sure the door was locked behind Tadaki before sitting back down. She smiled gently at Connie to let her know she had her full attention. This somehow made Connie smile in return.

"You know already?"

"I think I might have an idea." Alluka responded as Connie sighed heavily.

"It's not that he's not a great guy, but…"

"You feel as if he'll take me away from you."

Alluka responded easily which made Connie laugh.

"I have no clue why I even hide things from you."

"It's entirely impossible, you really shouldn't even try." Alluka joked in return before they were both laughing together.

Alluka then took Connie's hands firmly in hers. "Connie, you're my best friend, my first real best friend. You cannot imagine how special that is to me. You have to know that there is no way you can ever be replaced. But Tadaki… he's my best friend too. There is a way for both of you to be my best friend. For all of us to be."

Connie sighed. "I know. I know that's supposed to be the right answer because you're just so good Alluka, but I can't help but to think that soon… you'll be more than just best friends and where will that leave me? I mean, you two already share Nanika – and you've swapped bodies, and you travel together! How am I supposed to compete with that?"

Alluka's face suddenly turned beet red. "M-more than just best friends?"

"Come on, don't tell me you've never thought about it. He's completely in love with you!"

Just then, Nanika appeared over Alluka's features. "I can confirm this is true on both sides."

"WAAAAH NO! STOP IT NANIKA! ITS NOT TRUE!"

"I'm just sayin'." The deity expressed cheekily before disappearing once more.

Alluka was now a mess of frizzy hair and red cheeks as she still forced herself to speak. "Well, whatever that may be – it doesn't matter! You'll always be my best friend no matter what, Connie! There's no way I can ever leave you behind!"

The timid girl then grabbed Connie's hands in hers as new inspiration began flowing through her. "The next time we leave… come with us. We both know the act isn't complete with just you here, so promise me you'll come."

Connie stared at Alluka bewilderedly before smiling widely and giving her best friend her pinky. "You've got a deal, Alluka."

There was then another knock at the door. Alluka went to unlock it and as she swung the door open, she was met with her brother's serious expression.

"Brother…?"

"Alluka, we need to talk."

Tadaki gave Alluka a wink as he entered the room and sat across from Connie as the door closed behind them.

"My friend Kurapika has a mission for us, and it involves leaving the Hiro Troupe."

Alluka's mouth opened and shut confusedly before finding the words to speak.

"So soon?" She managed to question hoarsely.

"Yes. It seems there is a nasty succession war happening on the Dark Continent now and he needs our help to evacuate two princes to safety. They're arriving here in Okonami at midnight by sail boat. Canary is already in position to meet them. From there, we'll be taking them to York New City by airship where their identities will be wiped."

"Princes? How old are they exactly?"

Killua seemed to become less tense as he smiled at his baby sister.

"They're around your age, though slightly younger. We're going to do our best to take care of them both. They're twin sisters, Kacho and Fugetsu Hui Gou Rou, the tenth and eleventh princes of the Kakin Empire. Though, they have most recently faked their own deaths…"

"Right." Alluka bit out firmly. An aura of seriousness began to overlap her and Killua began to feel even more proud to call her his family.

"We'll take care of them. You hear our mission, Nanika?"

"Yes." She answered back in her high-pitched voice. "We'll take care of them."

"Good. They'll be staying with someone close to the Hunter Organization there. Apparently, they're experts at disguise or something… Cutie Beauty."

Alluka then tried to hold in her laughter before she erupted. "Cutie Beauty? It's so funny to hear you say that! Cutie Beauty!" She teased as tears began rolling from her eyes.

Alluka laughed loudly, but was suddenly interrupted as Killua brought her in for a tight hug instead. "It's so good to see you finally laughing so loudly now… Alluka."

He mentioned as she sat limp in his arms from shock, yet it wasn't long before her arms were wrapped around him and a warm smile spread across her face.

"Yeah. Thanks, Big Brother."

"So, are you gonna make me draw 25, or are you just gonna ask me what me and Alluka talked about?"

Connie asked as they continued their game in silence. Tadaki leaned against the bed in his relaxed fashion and eyed the girl mysteriously.

"I don't have to ask. I could practically hear Alluka screaming on the other side of the doorway."

"So… you know?"

"Know about what?"

"Her feelings for you?"

Tadaki scoffed. "Of course, I do – we practically share a brain thanks to Nanika - but what am I gonna do? Force her to tell me? That's so uncool. Besides, it's not like I'm ever going to leave her side anyway."

"Never?"

"Never."

Connie's cold glare seemed to subside as she smiled at him instead.

"You're alright with me then, Tadaki. I was kind've worried that you wouldn't take our oath to heart."

"Great trust building skills you have there..."

"Well, at least one of you is worthy…"

At this, Tadaki's ears shot up and even Pepe chirped in confusion.

"What do you mean?"

"I don't mean to speak out of turn…"

"Are you talking about Shockhead? You mean you're in love with Canary?"

"How are you this perceptive?"

Just then, the car door slammed open and Alluka's excited face shown through.

"Hey Connie, guess what!?"

Chapter 31 Part 2
Moon on the Water

Killua watched Canary's silhouette, carefully nestled within a small beach in the less trodden district of Okonami, and felt the spirit in his chest rise.

He liked watching her like this; fully calm, composed, and natural, when the world around her became so quiet that she became ethereal, she became… musical.

All of the stress, worries, and fights of the day seemed to altogether disappear as Canary vocalized through the darkness. Just a few simple notes that sounded as sweet as angel's breath.

He had to change his mind, he loved seeing her like this. Hearing her like this. So that's why he didn't dare say a single word as he noticed she silently included him into her Barrage Cloak and let him hear her sing.

It was just like the first time he heard her with that song, "Moon on the Water," when she was just nine years old.

He just returned from Heaven's Arena, and was suffering from a case of extreme arrogance, as he easily pushed open three Testing Gates at only the age of eight. He was also returning with fifteen butler carts full of Choco Robos which he was immensely proud of.

She was at the front gate then.

Her whole demeanor was stronger.

As soon as her eyes brushed against him, she fell into a deep standing saikeirei [1]. Perfect seiritsu and seventy-degree angle with hands glided to the tops of her knees. Her eyes lowered to the ground exactly eighty centimeters in front of her, held until he was completely on the other side of the gate.

He paused for a moment on the other side of the gate as the carts full of Choco Robos went by. That's when something odd struck him. A peculiar feeling in the hollows of his chest began to prickle him awake. He's never felt it before, or rather it had been awhile since it was there. It hadn't happened ever since Alluka was gone, so now he found it weird that it only happened when Canary was around.

He felt the need to turn, to finally talk to her after so many years, but something stopped him. He suddenly "felt" his mind instructing him with a firm "No."

So, he stood there anyway, with his back facing her while his head and his heart fought each other, before eventually walking away.

It was later that night when he heard her. He surely hadn't forgotten about the new butler girl named Canary when he was gone, but he must've been an entire fool for not remembering her like this. He felt now that the last memory he had of her was somehow cheated compared to the way she sang now [2]:

"Full moon sways
Gently in the night of one fine day
On my way
Looking for a moment with my dear,"

He felt his breath catch in his throat as he heard her sing. It was a spring day just like when he saw her before. He was encased in the same tree as back then and watched her sit outside her bedroom window above the garden as the fountain bubbled between them.

She looked pensive, and just as he was about to disturb her and ask about the weird pangs in his chest, she opened her mouth, and he heard her continue singing like the playings of a harp. He thought himself an idiot for disturbing her the first time he saw her like this.

He felt cheated.

"Full moon waves
Slowly on the surface of the lake
You are there
Smiling in my arms for all those years,"

Killua listened to her sing the entire song, and slowly throughout, the pangs in his chest began to feather out and grow, until his chest had given birth to what seemed like a beam of light. It was still small, as small as a thumb tack pierced through firm construction paper, but it was there, and only growing by the second. By the time she reached the last verse, he felt the "No" resounding in his head cease, and the light was just as large as his fist.

"Full moon sways
Gently in the night of one fine day
You are there
Smiling in my arms for all those years."

"Canary-"

Zwip! A sickenly quick needle suddenly landed into the small mansion's siding, approximately level with Canary's throat.

The young girl immediately noticed and quickly shrunk back into her bedroom, while the young boy rose to his feet in shock.

He knew who it was.

He knew it was Illumi.

He tried desperately to find him hiding in the trees, yet the only thing he found was an even stronger pang in his chest than before.

The pain brought him to his knees as he balled his fist to his heart and shook as the growing "No" only became louder and louder in his head. It was then that he collapsed, and when he woke up in his room later, his inner light had shrunk to a small puncture again before fading out.

Killua remembered that moment as he watched her sing now on the edge of such a small bay; singing to the moon. He placed his hand flat against his chest, and knew the light had grown significantly since then. Opening once more when he befriended Gon, and never to shut again once he removed Illumi's pin.

His inner light was shining on its own now, like a bright lantern in the dark. Killua cast his light on her and finally stepped forward as the song ended. As soon as their eyes met, he knelt to the ground in perfect seated saikeirei.

His face was five centimeters from the ground. He could barely see in front of him as he slid his hands down his thighs, his right hand leading his left, but he knew she was standing at the edge of the water. Her feet were bare as the gentle waves lapped over her toes, half buried in sand.

He bowed for more than three seconds.

He rose slowly, and as his head turned forward, he could see only a glimpse of her:
Her hair was as loose as a cloud as it swayed gently with the wind, as did her camisole. Her usual flowing maxi skirt was replaced with black jeans and her combat boots lay discarded to the side, unthreaded. He supposed it was a necessary change for the mission, though disconcerting to see.

He knew she would have a hard time leaving here. He knew how free she felt in Okonami.
"Floating like a bird that's in her wings."

"I'm sorry, Canary. I was a fool." He spoke carefully as his eyes stayed focused on the middle ground between them.

She didn't have to say anything for him to know that she understood.

The only one responsible for cheating Killua, was himself.

He was young, naïve, and a coward. How could he have possibly let his family separate them back then? It was no wonder he finally went back for her. If only he had done it sooner. If only…

Canary watched in silent contemplation before leaning forward. Killua was confused at first as her hands slid ont his shoulders. She smiled at him sweetly.

"There's nothing to forgive, Killua."

His eyes finally followed up to meet hers and her dark eyes were shimmering like the rarest black pearl, glimmering with exquisiteness. Her smile tugged at his heart.

"You don't have to do this every day, you know." She spoke with a hint of a giggle behind her lips.

"I can't help it." He answered simply as he finally stood and placed a kiss upon her brow.

Connie and Esmerelda paused as they witnessed such an intimate sight. They half reasoned that they were the only ones at the meet up point, as Canary's cloak was completely undetectable as they approached them. Yet now that their squabbles had ended, they could see just how elusive her Hatsu was as they were permitted entrance.

Now as Connie stood within their secret rendezvous point, she couldn't help but to notice how much of a fool she was. Who was she to judge their relationship?

As far as Connie was concerned, she knew nothing about Canary. And the only reason she was skeptical of Killua in the first place was because she knew he was putting her in danger. Yet, now… she couldn't blame him. She just couldn't blame him for falling in love with Canary.

And the way she looked at him… Connie knew she had zero chance.

Alluka and Tadaki finally showed up behind the two sisters, making sure to keep a few yards clearance while they argued ahead of them. As they spotted their two sensei ahead of them, they couldn't help but to tease them just a little.

"Here they are in their own little bubble again~" Alluka cooed as Tadaki moved in further behind her and they neared the shoreline.

It was a long trek through the jungled and abandoned side of town, and Tadaki used his aura to regulate his breathing. "Yeah, as usual…"

"Don't even look at me unless you want 10,000 push-ups." Killua warned his student as he detached himself from Canary. "I'm already having second thoughts sending you on this mission."

"I already told you, there's no way I'm leaving Alluka behind."

"I can handle myself." Alluka mentioned hotly as she glared at him. "Right, Nanika?"

"Yes."

"We're also going to have some trouble with this one." Esmerelda mentioned as she thumbed towards her younger sister. "She actually thinks she's going."

"I made a promise to Alluka!" Connie immediately rebutted as she turned onto her sister.

"Oh yeah, and I made a promise to mom and dad that I would keep you safe and with the troupe, but now you're trying to go off on some Hunter mission!"

"Of course, I'm going! I'm fourteen years old – way older than you when you first left! So, what!"

"So, what!? So, what – do you think you're grandma or something!? Do you want to be killed!?"

Connie's lip trembled as her mouth shut abruptly. "Isn't Ahomana wondering where you are right now?" She slid out as the door slammed shut behind her.

"You little brat…"

"They're at the edge of the Cloak. Their Nen Beasts have been lulled to sleep. Melody is standing by now." Canary quickly dished out as her boots were now strapped to her feet and her hair was braided back into long cornrows. "Make your decision now… Es." The focused cloak user spoke as her eyes stayed glued to the horizon.

Esmerelda eyed her younger sister with the fierce protectiveness that only an older sister could give. "Fine. I'm in."

"Lightning Cage now activated." Killua mentioned.

"They're coming in now." Canary continued.

The entire group was now completely silent and focused as Melody and the twin princes came into view. One with hair as dark as night and the other with hair as bright as day.

"Hello, we've finally made it." Melody mentioned as Alluka and Tadaki both helped pull the small row boat to shore.

The small woman departed from the boat and bowed deeply. "My name is Melody. It's a pleasure to finally meet you all." She mentioned in her small, squeaking voice.

The group all nodded and bowed immediately as yet, the princes still boarded the boat.

"Oh, it's okay to come off that now – Fugetsu and Kacho." Melody directed as she neared towards the girls once more. "Poor things, we've been wading for two weeks now and finally see land again. My Hatsu was enough to disguise us and keep them occupied, but now I'm afraid they're shell shocked." Melody mentioned as she helped the girls out one by one.

The blonde girl looked everyone once over with distrusting eyes while the raven haired sister kept her head bowed beside her.

"This is Kacho chan and this is Fugetsu chan – the two former princes of the Kakin Empire. Please take good care of them." Melody mentioned as she bowed deeply.

The group bowed once more.

Suddenly, Fugetsu took Melody's sleeve. Her hands were trembling as her fingers hooked onto the fabric. "Please… Tell me you're staying Melody. Please… stay."

The gentle woman looked at the young girl and smiled warmly. "I'll stay as long as you need me, Fugetsu chan."

"That's not fair!" Kacho finally erupted. "You said you were going to the Dark Continent to find some flute – to finally break your cur-" The former prince stuttered before pressing her lips shut instead. "You have to go find it. You don't have to babysit us anymore, Melody."

However, even as her sister spoke, Fugetsu refused to release her hold on Melody. Her trembling only grew stronger and it seemed as if she would fall over. "I can't – I can't -" The dark-haired girl muttered before losing her grip and falling to her knees.

It was Connie who got to her first. "It's okay… you're going to be okay now." She mentioned as she held the girl's face in her hands to look directly into her fading eyes.

Connie's breath then hitched as she noticed they were a deep chocolate brown before they shut close. She hoped the former prince didn't notice the deep devotion set in her own eyes as she prepared to secure the prince onto her back.

Alluka then stepped forward and bowed politely to Kacho. "Excuse me, former prince," she began. "I will be the one escorting you this evening." She pronounced with an air of charm surrounding her.

Kacho seemed flustered as she prepared to hang onto the young girl's back, just like her sister now did on Connie's. "Yes…"

Once the girls were secure, Melody brought out her flute. "This will only be temporary, my dear." Melody addressed Kacho as the girl looked at her with bright, knowing eyes.

"I'll place you and your sister in a sleepwalking state so you can easily enter the airship port. Until then, my dear." She bid farewell as Kacho's face sunk somberly. "Give Fugetsu my regards…"

"It should last for only two hours." She then addressed Canary and Killua as they both nodded in understanding.

Just then, Melody began playing a beautiful symphony that seemed to completely overwhelm the other prince as she fell forward onto Alluka's back into a deep slumber.

When the song was complete, Melody folded her hands gently. "Until then, my friends..." She mentioned with a sad smile before bowing once more and entering the small boat.

The group waited until she had completely left the Barrage Cloak before departing immediately afterwards.

I suppose I'll be dedicating a large part of Part 2 towards reminiscing and flashbacks. I hope you guys are enjoying them so far!

I spent most of this chapter tying up some loose ends from Part 1...

Anyway, I hoped you enjoyed this chapter! I'm on a roll, so I'm hoping the next chapter will be up very soon as well.

Also, if you havent noticed by now, I'm a huge fan of love at first sight /swoons/

Until next time! :D